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The season has been tougher than the last two years, when the region had relatively mild weather, but it has not been unusual when viewed through the lens of 110 years of climate data the National Weather Service studies.

January's average temperature came in at 21.1 degrees, which was less than five degrees off the average of 25.8 for the month.

Snowfall was right around normal for the season, but is probably slightly over after the storm that dropped snow Wednesday, Champney said.

"It's a little worse than what's normal but it's not record-breaking yet," he said. "Compared to the last two years, it is a big difference."

A deep freeze in January did bring some bitterly cold, record-breaking temperatures. The high temperature on Jan. 22 was nine degrees. That was the coldest high ever recorded for that day at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

The extreme cold also stuck around longer than usual. Five days reached temperatures below zero - more days in the negative than in a normal winter, Champney said. The last January with a colder average temperature was in 2009.

"It's social media, emails, people see me at gym or the grocery store, shopping, at a restaurant. Yes, I do field a lot of questions and comment regarding this winter weather," he said. "Generally, it's 'I can't believe it's this cold, this is ridiculous, when is the cold going to end?'"

Even people who establish that they are snow and winter-weather lovers will tell him they've had enough and are ready for spring.

"People are not mean about it. I'm not getting rocks thrown at me, which is always a good thing," Hodell said. "It is what it is. People are looking for some place to vent their frustration over the winter, why not the weatherman?"

January saw big swings in temperatures, with freezing days and a warm-up.

"It may average out to be near normal, OK, but perception is reality. Our winters have not been harsh the last couple of years," Hodell said. "When you look at how cold it's been, how stormy it's been, I could see somebody saying, 'It's been a rough winter.'"

The days with shorter periods of light, start when Daylight Saving Time ends and lasting through winter, can make people feel sadness and give them lower energy, psychologist Theresa Ann Kovacs, of Dallas, said.

Many people experience lethargy, but some develop significant symptoms, Kovacs said. Irritability, changes in eating or sleeping habits, difficulty concentrating or a lack of energy are symptoms of seasonal depression.

"If that is lasting more than a few weeks and you're feeling that way more days than not, I'd say get a mental health professional for an evaluation," Kovacs said.

People tried to stay warm in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday by ducking into coffee shops, like the cafe at the Barnes and Noble bookstore on South Main Street.

Kelsey McDonald and Jeff Katra worked while sipping their coffee. They were both surprised at how much it has snowed over the past couple of days.

"I woke up this morning and I couldn't believe how much snow fell last night," Katra said. "It took an hour for me and my roommate to shovel my car out. I know it is winter though, so big snowstorms are likely to happen."

McDonald said she had difficulty just getting out of the house Wednesday morning.

"I was really hoping that I didn't have to go to work today," McDonald said. "Luckily, I didn't. I hit the fence this morning, because the two gentlemen that I am neighbors with didn't shovel. So I was going back and forth just trying to get my car out."

King's College student Ashley Mayberry spent part of her day off casually flipping through Cosmopolitan and enjoying a caramel flan latte.

"As much as I love having a snow day, I think that snow is more of a hassle than anything else," Mayberry said.

bwellock@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2051, @CVBillWThe National Weather Service says more snow might be coming to Luzerne County this weekend.

The weather service said snow could fall Saturday or Sunday, with the likelihood of flakes increasing as the weekend continues. Factoring in the wind chill, temperatures could fall to zero degrees on Friday.

WBRE-TV meteorologist Josh Hodell said computer models were predicting heavy snow for the weekend but more recent projections show less accumulation.

"We're still in that time frame where things have not quite firmed up yet," Hodell said. "We still have a lot of time to watch pieces develop and see if come together. We'll have a better idea tomorrow and into Friday."

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